Speed Reader, My New Teapot Racer

The new teapot racer started life as a Land and Water Rover by the Blue Hat Toy Company.

Blaze trying the car for the first time:



At the same time that I purchased the RC car from Marshall's, DH bought me a $6 Disney Frozen tea set. He's wonderfully understanding and encouraging about my silly hobbies.



I removed the stickers from the teacups and teapot, spray painted the whole set with black plastic paint, and then added some antique gold Rub 'n Buff. I replaced the stickers with tea related book illustration.

There are, also, teabag tags hanging from each teacup, with a tea related literary quote on each.

Even some of the clear plastic packaging from the tea set was used when I mounted the set onto an old music box, so that it would turn.






The idea of little wheels attached to the front bumper of the car to aid in going around curved ramps, was the genius idea of Stephen Chapman, who has dubbed it "the Chapman devise". I have created my Chapman devise using the wheels from a little monster truck that Blaze broke a long time ago, but never threw away.



Failed:
Those wheels were too big and got in the way of the tires. So, instead of helping the car to turn better, they stopped it from turning at all.
Smaller wheels would have worked fine, but there were none available.

Second failure:
I drilled a hole through the top of the chassis, so that I could mount a music box on it, but I didn't check to see what was under the plastic I was drilling through. It turned out the circuit board was directly under the hole and I damaged it. Now, the car won't go in reverse.



I have printed book covers and attached them to foam board to create light weight fake books. In case you ever decide to try this, I have discovered that foam board can be sanded, to even up the edges.

I now have a new car, identical to the one I destroyed.

One more time...



Introducing, my latest teapot racer:









This is the racer I will be taking with to the Steampunk World's Fair in Piscataway, New Jersey, May 13-15: https://www.facebook.com/events/1178157612204010/